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Happy Tuesday to one and all
Today In Nascar History
March 1, 1992
Bill Elliott would begin a stretch of 4 wins by taking the GM Goodwrench race at the Rock.
March 1, 1998
Mark Martin wins the inaugural race at Las Vegas Speedway.
March 1, 2002
A new track record is set by Todd Bodine at Las Vegas at a qualifying speed of 172.850.
March 1, 1992
Bill Elliott would begin a stretch of 4 wins by taking the GM Goodwrench race at the Rock.
March 1, 1998
Mark Martin wins the inaugural race at Las Vegas Speedway.
March 1, 2002
A new track record is set by Todd Bodine at Las Vegas at a qualifying speed of 172.850.
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Did You Know
IF current Owners Points were being used to lock in the top-35 teams in owners points the following drivers would need to get in the race on speed:
#17-Matt Kenseth [36th in owners points...However, he would be able to use the Champ Provisional..if needed]
#11-Jason Leffer [37th]
#21-RIcky Rudd [38th]
#15-Michael Waltrip [39th]
#7-Robby Gordon [42nd]
IF current Owners Points were being used to lock in the top-35 teams in owners points the following drivers would need to get in the race on speed:
#17-Matt Kenseth [36th in owners points...However, he would be able to use the Champ Provisional..if needed]
#11-Jason Leffer [37th]
#21-RIcky Rudd [38th]
#15-Michael Waltrip [39th]
#7-Robby Gordon [42nd]
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Quote of the Day
“Junior has gotten to that point where he reminds me a lot of his dad.”
— Jeff Gordon, referring to Dale Earnhardt Jr.
“Junior has gotten to that point where he reminds me a lot of his dad.”
— Jeff Gordon, referring to Dale Earnhardt Jr.
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Comments from the Peanut Gallery
from Bob S
Busch's Pole, does he get to run in the Shootout? #5-Kyle Busch is the youngest pole sitter in Nextel Cup history at 19 years, 9 months, 24 days old. So the question is....will Busch, who will be 20 in February 2006, be able to run in the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona?
So, let's examine another scenario. What if one of the upcoming woman drivers wins a Viagra sponsored race? Would they deny her the trophy as inappropriate?
Another comment. On NASCAR Victory Lane the panel was giving appropriate credit to Jack Roush for his very successful youth development program. Someone mentioned an exception was Kyle Busch with Hendrick. Wrong! Kyle first ran NASCAR in a Roush truck at 16 (almost winning!), but then NASCAR had their "oh golly, what if such a young guy gets hurt!" fit, and rewrote their rules to make him set out until he turned 18. During that time, Hendrick put a rush on him and stole him away. Same as they did in stealing Jeff Gordon from Bill Davis!
from Larry
So, let's examine another scenario. What if one of the upcoming woman drivers wins a Viagra sponsored race? Would they deny her the trophy as inappropriate?
Another comment. On NASCAR Victory Lane the panel was giving appropriate credit to Jack Roush for his very successful youth development program. Someone mentioned an exception was Kyle Busch with Hendrick. Wrong! Kyle first ran NASCAR in a Roush truck at 16 (almost winning!), but then NASCAR had their "oh golly, what if such a young guy gets hurt!" fit, and rewrote their rules to make him set out until he turned 18. During that time, Hendrick put a rush on him and stole him away. Same as they did in stealing Jeff Gordon from Bill Davis!
from Larry
Momma,
Fontana was a booooring race! Give me Rockingham where the real 'race fans' are!! It was GREAT to see your item about Steve Park and the CTS race. It is good to see Steve getting some well deserved "positive" attention!!!!
Larry
Prairie du Chien, WI
Fontana was a booooring race! Give me Rockingham where the real 'race fans' are!! It was GREAT to see your item about Steve Park and the CTS race. It is good to see Steve getting some well deserved "positive" attention!!!!
Larry
Prairie du Chien, WI
I'm going to start covering a little bit of the Truck and Busch Series. Hope that will be ok with all my readers!
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Bits and Pieces
NASCAR gets activists' advice: Get the lead out
Scripps Howard News Service
NASCAR is under fire from environmentalists for using leaded gasoline more than six years after the Environmental Protection Agency asked the stock car racing industry to switch to unleaded.
"By permitting the continued use of lead, your organization may be putting millions of spectators and nearby residents at unnecessary risk of suffering serious health effects," the environmental group Clean Air Watch said in a recent letter to NASCAR chairman Brian France.
"Because of the clear public health threat, lead is being eliminated from gasoline throughout most of the world," the letter said. "If Kazakhstan can eliminate lead from gasoline, why can't NASCAR?"
The elimination of lead in gasoline in the United States in the 1970s and 1980s and in the rest of the world in recent years is considered one of the great public health victories of the 20th century. Lead levels in the blood of U.S. children have dropped dramatically as a result.
Blood lead concentrations of less than 10 parts per million have been shown to permanently diminish the mental capacity of children. Studies have also found an association between low-level lead exposure and criminal behavior, hearing loss and difficulty in metabolizing vitamin D. High level exposure can result in death.
In 1990, Congress exempted the aviation and racing industries from EPA regulations on the lead content of gasoline.
NASCAR has "looked into and will continue to look into making the switch to unleaded," but has not been able to find an alternative additive to lead, which lubricates engine valves, NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said. "Without being able to keep the valves lubed, the engines don't work as well."
NASCAR gets activists' advice: Get the lead out
Scripps Howard News Service
NASCAR is under fire from environmentalists for using leaded gasoline more than six years after the Environmental Protection Agency asked the stock car racing industry to switch to unleaded.
"By permitting the continued use of lead, your organization may be putting millions of spectators and nearby residents at unnecessary risk of suffering serious health effects," the environmental group Clean Air Watch said in a recent letter to NASCAR chairman Brian France.
"Because of the clear public health threat, lead is being eliminated from gasoline throughout most of the world," the letter said. "If Kazakhstan can eliminate lead from gasoline, why can't NASCAR?"
The elimination of lead in gasoline in the United States in the 1970s and 1980s and in the rest of the world in recent years is considered one of the great public health victories of the 20th century. Lead levels in the blood of U.S. children have dropped dramatically as a result.
Blood lead concentrations of less than 10 parts per million have been shown to permanently diminish the mental capacity of children. Studies have also found an association between low-level lead exposure and criminal behavior, hearing loss and difficulty in metabolizing vitamin D. High level exposure can result in death.
In 1990, Congress exempted the aviation and racing industries from EPA regulations on the lead content of gasoline.
NASCAR has "looked into and will continue to look into making the switch to unleaded," but has not been able to find an alternative additive to lead, which lubricates engine valves, NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said. "Without being able to keep the valves lubed, the engines don't work as well."
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Hendrick team scrambles to figure out what went wrong
No doubt Monday was a long day a the Hendrick Motorsports shop.
Hendrick had malfunctions with four of the eight engines it had in the race.
Brian Vickers' race was soured when his Chevrolet dropped a cylinder about two-thirds of the way through the event.
Joe Nemechek was leading when his Hendrick engine failed, resulting in a 39th-place finish.
Jeff Gordon lost a cylinder late in the race giving second place finisher and fellow Hendrick Motorsports teammate quite a scare.
"When I saw Jeff (Gordon) break, it made me nervous," runner-up Jimmie Johnson said, "and I started to let off a little earlier going into turn one. It raises some eyebrows because we're not turning the RPMs like we did before. But I had no issues."
"It's inconclusive," said Jeff Andrews, Hendrick's head of engine development. "The two I've looked at -- the 01 [Nemechek] and the 25 [Vickers]-- were definitely the same thing."
Andrews said the similar issue involved parts in the cars' valve trains, which he said was "definitely a part issue, but I don't think it's anything to do with a batch -- it's probably more a part design issue."
While Andrews hadn't had time to check the exact cause, the two other Hendrick engines that failed also involved dropped cylinders.
"We're a little bit different in that area," Andrews said. "But it was some stuff we ran towards the end of last year and had a lot of confidence in doing this year.
No doubt Monday was a long day a the Hendrick Motorsports shop.
Hendrick had malfunctions with four of the eight engines it had in the race.
Brian Vickers' race was soured when his Chevrolet dropped a cylinder about two-thirds of the way through the event.
Joe Nemechek was leading when his Hendrick engine failed, resulting in a 39th-place finish.
Jeff Gordon lost a cylinder late in the race giving second place finisher and fellow Hendrick Motorsports teammate quite a scare.
"When I saw Jeff (Gordon) break, it made me nervous," runner-up Jimmie Johnson said, "and I started to let off a little earlier going into turn one. It raises some eyebrows because we're not turning the RPMs like we did before. But I had no issues."
"It's inconclusive," said Jeff Andrews, Hendrick's head of engine development. "The two I've looked at -- the 01 [Nemechek] and the 25 [Vickers]-- were definitely the same thing."
Andrews said the similar issue involved parts in the cars' valve trains, which he said was "definitely a part issue, but I don't think it's anything to do with a batch -- it's probably more a part design issue."
While Andrews hadn't had time to check the exact cause, the two other Hendrick engines that failed also involved dropped cylinders.
"We're a little bit different in that area," Andrews said. "But it was some stuff we ran towards the end of last year and had a lot of confidence in doing this year.
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Busch's Pole, does he get to run in the Shootout? UPDATE YES: #5-Kyle Busch is the youngest pole sitter in Nextel Cup history at 19 years, 9 months, 24 days old. The all-time record was held by Donald Thomas - 20 years, 4 months, 6 days old at Lakewood Speedway in GA on 11-16-1952. The modern-era [1972-present] record was held by Brian Vickers, 20 years, 6 months, 20 days at Richmond on 5-14-2004.(that stats from the NASCAR Statistical Services Updates Book)...
So the question is....will Busch, who will be 20 in February 2006, be able to run in the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona? The sticker on hic car doesn't say 'Bud Pole Award' BUT 'Anheuser-Busch Pole'. Officially, Busch is the winner of the "Anheuser-Busch Pole Award" and there are seperate plaque and materials for that. Brian Vickers had the same sticker in 2004, but he was 20 and was 21 at the time of the 2005 Budweiser Shootout, so he was allowed to run, but he wasn't allowed to run the Crown Royal IROC Series in 2004 as he was not 21. Been told no decision on Busch and the 2006 Bud Shootout has not been made as of yet.(2-28-2005)
UPDATE: Speed Channel's NASCAR Nation reported on its Monday show that they were told that Kyle Busch WILL be able to run the 2006 Budweiser Shootout.
So the question is....will Busch, who will be 20 in February 2006, be able to run in the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona? The sticker on hic car doesn't say 'Bud Pole Award' BUT 'Anheuser-Busch Pole'. Officially, Busch is the winner of the "Anheuser-Busch Pole Award" and there are seperate plaque and materials for that. Brian Vickers had the same sticker in 2004, but he was 20 and was 21 at the time of the 2005 Budweiser Shootout, so he was allowed to run, but he wasn't allowed to run the Crown Royal IROC Series in 2004 as he was not 21. Been told no decision on Busch and the 2006 Bud Shootout has not been made as of yet.(2-28-2005)
UPDATE: Speed Channel's NASCAR Nation reported on its Monday show that they were told that Kyle Busch WILL be able to run the 2006 Budweiser Shootout.
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City of Charlotte funds would go toward all-star race
The president of the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority asked the Charlotte City Council on Monday to approve a little more than $62,000 for events surrounding NASCAR’s all-star race.
Tim Newman said it is critical to make sure NASCAR officials do not move the race away from Lowe’s Motor Speedway, which is located in nearby Concord.
"They know that Charlotte loves the event and wants to keep it here,” Newman said. “We will do everything within reason to make it attractive to stay here and very difficult to go anywhere else.”
The Nextel All-Star Challenge, won by Matt Kenseth last year, will be held May 21. By the end of March, officials with Nextel and Lowe’s Motor Speedway are expected to unveil the events that are planned for all-star week.
Newman said the state of North Carolina is already contributing $250,000 to the cause.
City Council members will vote on the issue March 28. Mecklenburg County commissioners will vote on an identical proposal Tuesday night.
The president of the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority asked the Charlotte City Council on Monday to approve a little more than $62,000 for events surrounding NASCAR’s all-star race.
Tim Newman said it is critical to make sure NASCAR officials do not move the race away from Lowe’s Motor Speedway, which is located in nearby Concord.
"They know that Charlotte loves the event and wants to keep it here,” Newman said. “We will do everything within reason to make it attractive to stay here and very difficult to go anywhere else.”
The Nextel All-Star Challenge, won by Matt Kenseth last year, will be held May 21. By the end of March, officials with Nextel and Lowe’s Motor Speedway are expected to unveil the events that are planned for all-star week.
Newman said the state of North Carolina is already contributing $250,000 to the cause.
City Council members will vote on the issue March 28. Mecklenburg County commissioners will vote on an identical proposal Tuesday night.
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Dale Jr., Gordon, Waltrip headline poker tourney on SPEED
SPEED Channel will begin airing a series of one-hour specials on the Michael Waltrip Celebrity Poker Tournament shot earlier this year at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas. The eight-part series rolls out April 7 at 9 p.m. ET, with the two-hour tournament finale scheduled to air June 2 at 8 p.m. ET. Players in the popular Texas Hold'em tournament includ NASCAR's Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Benny Parsons, Casey Mears, Brian Vickers, Ryan Newman, Kyle Petty, Elliott and Hermie Sadler.
"Poker is, in and of itself, a blast," said Rick Miner, SPEED Channel Sr. VP of Programming/Production and Executive Producer. "But when you take the sometimes volatile combination of arguably NASCAR's hottest personalities, mix them up in a city like Las Vegas, with Michael Waltrip as the host -- well, let's just say, whatever happened in Vegas won't stay in Vegas. It will all be on SPEED Channel."
SPEED Channel put up the $100,000 prize money, with half going to Petty's Victory Junction Gang Camp through Waltrip's "Operation Marathon" and the other half going to the charity of the winner's choice.
SPEED broadcast schedule:
April 7 (9 p.m. ET, 1 hour)
April 14 (9 p.m. ET, 1 hour)
April 28 (9 p.m. ET, 1 hour)
May 5 (9 p.m. ET, 1 hour)
May 12 (9 p.m. ET, 1 hour)
May 19 (9 p.m. ET, 1 hour)
June 2 (8 p.m. ET, 2 hours)
SPEED Channel will begin airing a series of one-hour specials on the Michael Waltrip Celebrity Poker Tournament shot earlier this year at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas. The eight-part series rolls out April 7 at 9 p.m. ET, with the two-hour tournament finale scheduled to air June 2 at 8 p.m. ET. Players in the popular Texas Hold'em tournament includ NASCAR's Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Benny Parsons, Casey Mears, Brian Vickers, Ryan Newman, Kyle Petty, Elliott and Hermie Sadler.
"Poker is, in and of itself, a blast," said Rick Miner, SPEED Channel Sr. VP of Programming/Production and Executive Producer. "But when you take the sometimes volatile combination of arguably NASCAR's hottest personalities, mix them up in a city like Las Vegas, with Michael Waltrip as the host -- well, let's just say, whatever happened in Vegas won't stay in Vegas. It will all be on SPEED Channel."
SPEED Channel put up the $100,000 prize money, with half going to Petty's Victory Junction Gang Camp through Waltrip's "Operation Marathon" and the other half going to the charity of the winner's choice.
SPEED broadcast schedule:
April 7 (9 p.m. ET, 1 hour)
April 14 (9 p.m. ET, 1 hour)
April 28 (9 p.m. ET, 1 hour)
May 5 (9 p.m. ET, 1 hour)
May 12 (9 p.m. ET, 1 hour)
May 19 (9 p.m. ET, 1 hour)
June 2 (8 p.m. ET, 2 hours)
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Ward on the tube: Ward Burton is scheduled to appear on the Bass Pro Shops Outoor World television show that will appear on the Outdoor Channel on the following dates: Tuesday, March 8, 11:30pm/et, Thursday, March 10, 2:30pm/et; and Sunday, March 13, 9:30pm/et. The show will feature Burton's December hunt with two youths sponsored by United Special Sportsman's Alliance.
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Overnight TV numbers best regular-season rating ever
FOX Sports' 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup regular season schedule got off to a record-setting start on Sunday, firing a 7.1/14 overnight rating — the highest overnight rating ever for a regular season (excluding Daytona) race on FOX.
Sunday's 7.1/14 topped last year's regular season opener from Rockingham by +13% (vs. 6.3/14) and easily ranks as the top-rated sporting event of the weekend. Prior to Sunday, the last regular season race to produce such an overnight rating was the Rockingham 400 on Feb. 25, 2001 (7.0/15), the first race that followed the tragic death of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt.
An impressive 39 out of 55 metered markets posted increases over last year's regular season opener, including eight of the top ten markets.
FOX Sports' 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup regular season schedule got off to a record-setting start on Sunday, firing a 7.1/14 overnight rating — the highest overnight rating ever for a regular season (excluding Daytona) race on FOX.
Sunday's 7.1/14 topped last year's regular season opener from Rockingham by +13% (vs. 6.3/14) and easily ranks as the top-rated sporting event of the weekend. Prior to Sunday, the last regular season race to produce such an overnight rating was the Rockingham 400 on Feb. 25, 2001 (7.0/15), the first race that followed the tragic death of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt.
An impressive 39 out of 55 metered markets posted increases over last year's regular season opener, including eight of the top ten markets.
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Richert Shines in California Wins WYPALL® Wipers Crew Chief of the Race: California Speedway stumped several crew chiefs in the Nextel Cup garage. The low-banked, two-mile oval had more than a few teams second guessing their setups and pit strategies. And while the race weekend left most crew chiefs with more questions than answers, Doug Richert, crew chief of the #16 National Guard team, undoubtedly had a handle on the track from the very start. Richert led his driver to Victory Lane in the Auto Club 500 and was voted the WYPALL® Wipers Crew Chief of the Race. A panel of three voters, including Tony Eury Sr., a representative from WYPALL® Wipers and a member of the local media all cast their votes for the Crew Chief of the Race following the event. Richert won by a vote of two to one. Anne Marie Brooks of the Lebanon Democrat voted for Jimmy Fennig as the Crew Chief of the Race.
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Kurt Busch's runs 'solid start' to year
Here he is again.
Of course it's way early in the 2005 Nextel Cup Series season, but already Kurt Busch is making noise that he will likely play a role in the outcome of this season's championship as well.
Busch, who won last season's inaugural Chase for the Nextel Cup 10-race playoff format, finished third in Sunday's Auto Club 500 at California Speedway, his second top-five finish in as many races this season.
Busch was second in last weekend's season opening Daytona 500.
I was hoping we could get a solid start to our season. It's not wins, but we're doing OK and it's a great start to defending a championship," Busch said.
Almost to catch himself, he quickly added: "It's way to early to talk points, but we're having fun."
A late-race gutsy pit call helped ensure Busch's strong finish.
With 32 of 250 laps remaining, most of the lead lap cars headed to pit road for fresh tires while the race was under caution, but Busch and Greg Biffle elected to remain on the track.
Jimmie Johnson had tried that move earlier in the race, but fell back in the pack. Busch and Biffle hoped those with fresh tires would spend time marred in traffic.
The strategy paid off, with Biffle passing Busch and eventually the win. Only one car with new tires -- Johnson's -- reached the two Roush Racing teammates, with Johnson passing Busch on the final lap.
"I had no doubts on staying out," Bush said of the pit strategy. "Track position is key here at California and that helped us make that decision.
"Even with the tires being softer (this season), it's still about track position and being able to run consistent lap times at the end."
NASCAR cut an inch off the rear spoilers and Goodyear once again softened its race tires in the off-season to help promote better racing and reduce the amount of downforce on the cars.
Johnson said he thought he had enough time on the final green-flag run to catch those who did not stop for tires.
"When we were on old tires and everyone else was one new ones, everything stabilized and we were even," he said. "I think they noticed that and thought by the time we got to them maybe things would be equal then.
"They played it right. One more corner and it would have been a different outcome."
Here he is again.
Of course it's way early in the 2005 Nextel Cup Series season, but already Kurt Busch is making noise that he will likely play a role in the outcome of this season's championship as well.
Busch, who won last season's inaugural Chase for the Nextel Cup 10-race playoff format, finished third in Sunday's Auto Club 500 at California Speedway, his second top-five finish in as many races this season.
Busch was second in last weekend's season opening Daytona 500.
I was hoping we could get a solid start to our season. It's not wins, but we're doing OK and it's a great start to defending a championship," Busch said.
Almost to catch himself, he quickly added: "It's way to early to talk points, but we're having fun."
A late-race gutsy pit call helped ensure Busch's strong finish.
With 32 of 250 laps remaining, most of the lead lap cars headed to pit road for fresh tires while the race was under caution, but Busch and Greg Biffle elected to remain on the track.
Jimmie Johnson had tried that move earlier in the race, but fell back in the pack. Busch and Biffle hoped those with fresh tires would spend time marred in traffic.
The strategy paid off, with Biffle passing Busch and eventually the win. Only one car with new tires -- Johnson's -- reached the two Roush Racing teammates, with Johnson passing Busch on the final lap.
"I had no doubts on staying out," Bush said of the pit strategy. "Track position is key here at California and that helped us make that decision.
"Even with the tires being softer (this season), it's still about track position and being able to run consistent lap times at the end."
NASCAR cut an inch off the rear spoilers and Goodyear once again softened its race tires in the off-season to help promote better racing and reduce the amount of downforce on the cars.
Johnson said he thought he had enough time on the final green-flag run to catch those who did not stop for tires.
"When we were on old tires and everyone else was one new ones, everything stabilized and we were even," he said. "I think they noticed that and thought by the time we got to them maybe things would be equal then.
"They played it right. One more corner and it would have been a different outcome."
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Ince leaves the #66? hearing that crew chief James Ince has left the #66 Peak Fitness Racing team that Hermie Sadler drives for. The team has failed to qualify for the first two races of the season.
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Not in my state: Floridians don't want tax dollars spent on NASCAR Hall
Florida voters overwhelmingly oppose spending tax money on sports facilities, including a NASCAR Hall of Fame for Daytona Beach, according to a poll released Monday.
Respondents opposed using tax money to help pay for sports venues in general by a 76-22 percent margin and each of those three projects by an even wider margin, according to a poll conducted by Quinnipiac University.
Daytona and Volusia county officials argue that getting public funds is vital to attracting the NASCAR Hall of Fame to Daytona Beach, especially since a number of bigger cities also are fighting for the racing museum. Seven cities are vying for the project, including Atlanta; Detroit; Charlotte, N.C.; Kansas City, Kan.; Richmond, Va.; and Talladega, Ala.
"I know the city doesn't have $75 million, if that's the magic number," Daytona Beach City Commissioner Rick Shiver said.
"We don't have Atlanta's corporate sponsors, like Coca-Cola. It is crucial that we get the public funding."
Told of the survey's results, NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said, "You take polls with a grain of salt."
"The NASCAR Hall of Fame will be a great success and an economic engine in whichever community is selected. Each community will have to make their own decision about financing as they develop their proposals," he said.
"We are looking for a partner in the process." Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said the poll results could play into lawmakers' thinking when they consider bills seeking money for the projects. Lawmakers need to decide whether it's appropriate to help individual business interests when the state has other needs, he said.
``I'm not surprised that there are more people against subsidies of sports franchises than are for it. I'm surprised at the magnitude,'' Bush said.
Florida voters overwhelmingly oppose spending tax money on sports facilities, including a NASCAR Hall of Fame for Daytona Beach, according to a poll released Monday.
Respondents opposed using tax money to help pay for sports venues in general by a 76-22 percent margin and each of those three projects by an even wider margin, according to a poll conducted by Quinnipiac University.
Daytona and Volusia county officials argue that getting public funds is vital to attracting the NASCAR Hall of Fame to Daytona Beach, especially since a number of bigger cities also are fighting for the racing museum. Seven cities are vying for the project, including Atlanta; Detroit; Charlotte, N.C.; Kansas City, Kan.; Richmond, Va.; and Talladega, Ala.
"I know the city doesn't have $75 million, if that's the magic number," Daytona Beach City Commissioner Rick Shiver said.
"We don't have Atlanta's corporate sponsors, like Coca-Cola. It is crucial that we get the public funding."
Told of the survey's results, NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said, "You take polls with a grain of salt."
"The NASCAR Hall of Fame will be a great success and an economic engine in whichever community is selected. Each community will have to make their own decision about financing as they develop their proposals," he said.
"We are looking for a partner in the process." Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said the poll results could play into lawmakers' thinking when they consider bills seeking money for the projects. Lawmakers need to decide whether it's appropriate to help individual business interests when the state has other needs, he said.
``I'm not surprised that there are more people against subsidies of sports franchises than are for it. I'm surprised at the magnitude,'' Bush said.
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Long to make season debut at Las Vegas: Carl Long will be piloting the #00 Buyer's Choice/Howes/Champion Builders Chevrolet next weekend [3-13-2005] at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the running of the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race. In last year's event, Carl Long started the fan-supported #02 Pontiac in 41st position and finished 38th due to an oil pump issue that dropped him out of the race after completing 145 of 267 laps.
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Steve Park: "It's nice to go to work in the morning knowing you have the
confidence of an owner and a sponsor and people around you that know
you can get the job done and win races." Credit: Autostock
Conversation: Steve Park
By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
FONTANA, Calif. -- Steve Park gained closure to one chapter in his racing career Friday night at California Speedway, when he won the American Racing Wheels 200 in the Craftsman Truck Series.
In doing so, he entered his name into one of the most select groups in racing: Drivers who have scored a victory in each of NASCAR's three national touring series.
Before he left Fontana to do a planned motorcycle ride, Park sat down with NASCAR.COM senior writer Dave Rodman to discuss his Orleans Racing team, the impact of teammate Brendan Gaughan and achieving closure and the rejuvenation of his career.
Q: What's your frame of mind after becoming the third man to win a race in all three of NASCAR's national touring series?
It's huge. Craftsman does a great job with the Truck Series and the competition is so high these days, that to win a race is a huge accomplishment.
But even more than that, to be able to say that you won in all three major touring series is something -- you know? You're on a list of only 10 people that have done that.
That's huge for me and I want to thank NASCAR for giving me the opportunity, as a guy growing up in New York to go to work for a guy like Dale Earnhardt. To start in the Busch Series and to win races, then go to Nextel Cup and win and now winning in the Truck Series is just remarkable.
It'll probably take another day or so for it to sink in.
Q: Careers are made of dreams, but when you think back to racing Modifieds at Riverhead Raceway on Long Island, and then in Busch North and the Modified Tour -- what was your goal and did you think attaining this milestone was possible?
The way to answer that is to say it just didn't (seem possible). I was tearing up the bullrings on Long Island, racing with my dad and he was a big supporter of mine.
Then, getting the opportunity with Bob Bahre building that track (New Hampshire International Speedway) up in New Hampshire. That gave us an opportunity to showcase some talent in front of the Cup guys and to get the attention of a guy by the name of Dale Earnhardt and to go to work for him driving his Busch cars.
It's a storybook tale, and a story of just how things have happened for me, from starting out on Long Island on the bullrings to going to work for a guy like Dale Earnhardt and to win races for him, and now Mr. Gaughan and the Orleans Dodge -- it's just incredible.
The answer to the question is that you would never picture that, being a 15-year-old kid racing open-wheel cars on a short track in New York -- so it's really a storybook ending.
Q: What a difference a year makes. Last year you guys showed the potential to win, but bad luck nailed you every turn of the way. What do things look like in 2005, with crew chief Charlie Wilson and your Orleans crew?
Believe it or not, we're still growing. We thought right towards the end of last year we were going to win some races, and we didn't (because) we had a little bit of bad luck, so we're hoping to put that behind us.
We feel we're a stronger team. We've spent a year getting to know each other and to come out in the second race and win is a credit to the entire Orleans Dodge team. We weren't at our best.
That was one thing that we talked about, even yesterday. We feel like we can still improve, and we're sitting here winning races, so the competition's got to be a little weary if we get our trucks where they need to be.
We'd like to contend for top-fives and wins throughout the year.
Q: How much of a difference do you feel like Brendan Gaughan has meant to your team, since he's come back and is racing full-time with you?
It's just nice. His enthusiasm goes throughout the whole team. He just picks everybody up -- including myself. We look for a guy in the shop to straighten things out and get things running the right way.
Who could you ask for to be in a better situation than to have a guy like Brendan Gaughan to do that? He's standing in right now and doing that and to hire the people we need to move forward and for him to move forward in the Truck Series, too -- so it's just a welcome addition to the team.
Q: Is it especially sweet to win here in California, where you had that bitter experience in 2003, winning the pole for DEI and then crashing on the first lap?
Yeah, but you know -- it wasn't bitter. I sat on the pole and I was instructed in how we wanted a nice clean start and for everyone to use their head on the first lap.
I had a good clean start and used my head and the next thing I know we're three- or four-wide down in Turn 1, at the drop of the green flag. I'm not going to take any credit for being any part of that -- I was a victim in that whole entire situation.
It took a guy who qualified on the pole and could have run in the top 10 that entire race and took him out before we even came around to complete one lap. So I was just very disappointed.
Q: Talk about confidence, and your relationship with the Gaughan family.
From the time I came back I knew I could race and win races. It seemed like nobody else had confidence. It's been a three-year book. It's a story of winning races, getting hurt, losing your job, struggling back to winning races again.
I wasn't going to give up until I reached this level of winning races again. I got hurt winning races, and now I'm back to winning races again. I felt from the time I got back in the racecar with the right opportunity I could do that. I was never given the opportunity until Mr. Gaughan called last year and said 'I want you to come and drive my truck.'
I had an opportunity in Busch that I was going to take, but this just felt right in my heart. It was something I wanted to do and we just struck up a deal. The credit goes to the Orleans/Jasper team. These guys didn't quit.
It's nice to go to work in the morning knowing you have the confidence of an owner and a sponsor and people around you that know you can get the job done and win races. I haven't had that feeling the last couple of years and now I do. It's not going to be our last time here. We'll see you again.
Q: As you said in your news conference, your confidence has never wavered in your ability. So what are your hopes of putting closure to any of the doubts people in the stands, the media and the industry might have had?
It's closure now. I didn't know what it would take to put closure to it, but nobody can say (now) that you can't win a race -- because we're sitting here and we won a race. And we're going to go on and win more races.
It's time that history closes the book on that part of my life. I've closed it a long time ago and it just needs for everybody else to close it and for all of us to move on. The only way we can do that is by winning races like we did (Friday) night.
We're going to do it in the future, too -- we're just really happy. I worked hard to get to the point of getting back in a car -- or a truck -- that could win races and getting back to winning races, because that's what makes me happy.
Q: There have been some big victories in your career: Rockingham in 2001 and your home track, Watkins Glen, where Dale Earnhardt really noticed you. Where does this truck victory fit in your career accomplishments, to you?
It fits right in and is parallel to any of them. Your first win is something you always remember -- (coming) in my home state of New York, and Dale (Earnhardt) was there in Victory Lane and that's something you'll always remember.
Then, with Dale passing on at Daytona (in 2001) and then not knowing what we were going to do -- but knowing that if Dale were still with us he'd tell us to suck it up and go to Rockingham and win that race for him.
Then, to go there and win that race, I mean, (was incredible). The last three laps I was falling to pieces and I had a voice come over my shoulder saying "Don't be such a sissy, suck it up and get up on top of that wheel" -- just like he would say.
We went on to win that race and it was just a huge experience. Now, getting hurt and coming back, two-and-a-half or three years later and winning a race ranks right up there because this is something I wanted to do.
I didn't want to end my career at any (low) point. I wanted just to get back in a situation where I could win races, and that's where we're at right now with this Orleans Dodge.
Q: How big is that grin on your face going to be this week riding your motorcycle?
It's going to be ear-to-ear (laughing), so people will probably be asking me, "What are you grinning about?"
It's probably going to be hard to explain, but I'm excited. It's great being out here in California and to win a race. We've got a nice trip planned.
Like I said, it's going to sink in, in a couple days and know that we're on that top-10 list of people that have won in every touring series in NASCAR and we're pretty excited about that.
Conversation: Steve Park
By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
FONTANA, Calif. -- Steve Park gained closure to one chapter in his racing career Friday night at California Speedway, when he won the American Racing Wheels 200 in the Craftsman Truck Series.
In doing so, he entered his name into one of the most select groups in racing: Drivers who have scored a victory in each of NASCAR's three national touring series.
Before he left Fontana to do a planned motorcycle ride, Park sat down with NASCAR.COM senior writer Dave Rodman to discuss his Orleans Racing team, the impact of teammate Brendan Gaughan and achieving closure and the rejuvenation of his career.
Q: What's your frame of mind after becoming the third man to win a race in all three of NASCAR's national touring series?
It's huge. Craftsman does a great job with the Truck Series and the competition is so high these days, that to win a race is a huge accomplishment.
But even more than that, to be able to say that you won in all three major touring series is something -- you know? You're on a list of only 10 people that have done that.
That's huge for me and I want to thank NASCAR for giving me the opportunity, as a guy growing up in New York to go to work for a guy like Dale Earnhardt. To start in the Busch Series and to win races, then go to Nextel Cup and win and now winning in the Truck Series is just remarkable.
It'll probably take another day or so for it to sink in.
Q: Careers are made of dreams, but when you think back to racing Modifieds at Riverhead Raceway on Long Island, and then in Busch North and the Modified Tour -- what was your goal and did you think attaining this milestone was possible?
The way to answer that is to say it just didn't (seem possible). I was tearing up the bullrings on Long Island, racing with my dad and he was a big supporter of mine.
Then, getting the opportunity with Bob Bahre building that track (New Hampshire International Speedway) up in New Hampshire. That gave us an opportunity to showcase some talent in front of the Cup guys and to get the attention of a guy by the name of Dale Earnhardt and to go to work for him driving his Busch cars.
It's a storybook tale, and a story of just how things have happened for me, from starting out on Long Island on the bullrings to going to work for a guy like Dale Earnhardt and to win races for him, and now Mr. Gaughan and the Orleans Dodge -- it's just incredible.
The answer to the question is that you would never picture that, being a 15-year-old kid racing open-wheel cars on a short track in New York -- so it's really a storybook ending.
Q: What a difference a year makes. Last year you guys showed the potential to win, but bad luck nailed you every turn of the way. What do things look like in 2005, with crew chief Charlie Wilson and your Orleans crew?
Believe it or not, we're still growing. We thought right towards the end of last year we were going to win some races, and we didn't (because) we had a little bit of bad luck, so we're hoping to put that behind us.
We feel we're a stronger team. We've spent a year getting to know each other and to come out in the second race and win is a credit to the entire Orleans Dodge team. We weren't at our best.
That was one thing that we talked about, even yesterday. We feel like we can still improve, and we're sitting here winning races, so the competition's got to be a little weary if we get our trucks where they need to be.
We'd like to contend for top-fives and wins throughout the year.
Q: How much of a difference do you feel like Brendan Gaughan has meant to your team, since he's come back and is racing full-time with you?
It's just nice. His enthusiasm goes throughout the whole team. He just picks everybody up -- including myself. We look for a guy in the shop to straighten things out and get things running the right way.
Who could you ask for to be in a better situation than to have a guy like Brendan Gaughan to do that? He's standing in right now and doing that and to hire the people we need to move forward and for him to move forward in the Truck Series, too -- so it's just a welcome addition to the team.
Q: Is it especially sweet to win here in California, where you had that bitter experience in 2003, winning the pole for DEI and then crashing on the first lap?
Yeah, but you know -- it wasn't bitter. I sat on the pole and I was instructed in how we wanted a nice clean start and for everyone to use their head on the first lap.
I had a good clean start and used my head and the next thing I know we're three- or four-wide down in Turn 1, at the drop of the green flag. I'm not going to take any credit for being any part of that -- I was a victim in that whole entire situation.
It took a guy who qualified on the pole and could have run in the top 10 that entire race and took him out before we even came around to complete one lap. So I was just very disappointed.
Q: Talk about confidence, and your relationship with the Gaughan family.
From the time I came back I knew I could race and win races. It seemed like nobody else had confidence. It's been a three-year book. It's a story of winning races, getting hurt, losing your job, struggling back to winning races again.
I wasn't going to give up until I reached this level of winning races again. I got hurt winning races, and now I'm back to winning races again. I felt from the time I got back in the racecar with the right opportunity I could do that. I was never given the opportunity until Mr. Gaughan called last year and said 'I want you to come and drive my truck.'
I had an opportunity in Busch that I was going to take, but this just felt right in my heart. It was something I wanted to do and we just struck up a deal. The credit goes to the Orleans/Jasper team. These guys didn't quit.
It's nice to go to work in the morning knowing you have the confidence of an owner and a sponsor and people around you that know you can get the job done and win races. I haven't had that feeling the last couple of years and now I do. It's not going to be our last time here. We'll see you again.
Q: As you said in your news conference, your confidence has never wavered in your ability. So what are your hopes of putting closure to any of the doubts people in the stands, the media and the industry might have had?
It's closure now. I didn't know what it would take to put closure to it, but nobody can say (now) that you can't win a race -- because we're sitting here and we won a race. And we're going to go on and win more races.
It's time that history closes the book on that part of my life. I've closed it a long time ago and it just needs for everybody else to close it and for all of us to move on. The only way we can do that is by winning races like we did (Friday) night.
We're going to do it in the future, too -- we're just really happy. I worked hard to get to the point of getting back in a car -- or a truck -- that could win races and getting back to winning races, because that's what makes me happy.
Q: There have been some big victories in your career: Rockingham in 2001 and your home track, Watkins Glen, where Dale Earnhardt really noticed you. Where does this truck victory fit in your career accomplishments, to you?
It fits right in and is parallel to any of them. Your first win is something you always remember -- (coming) in my home state of New York, and Dale (Earnhardt) was there in Victory Lane and that's something you'll always remember.
Then, with Dale passing on at Daytona (in 2001) and then not knowing what we were going to do -- but knowing that if Dale were still with us he'd tell us to suck it up and go to Rockingham and win that race for him.
Then, to go there and win that race, I mean, (was incredible). The last three laps I was falling to pieces and I had a voice come over my shoulder saying "Don't be such a sissy, suck it up and get up on top of that wheel" -- just like he would say.
We went on to win that race and it was just a huge experience. Now, getting hurt and coming back, two-and-a-half or three years later and winning a race ranks right up there because this is something I wanted to do.
I didn't want to end my career at any (low) point. I wanted just to get back in a situation where I could win races, and that's where we're at right now with this Orleans Dodge.
Q: How big is that grin on your face going to be this week riding your motorcycle?
It's going to be ear-to-ear (laughing), so people will probably be asking me, "What are you grinning about?"
It's probably going to be hard to explain, but I'm excited. It's great being out here in California and to win a race. We've got a nice trip planned.
Like I said, it's going to sink in, in a couple days and know that we're on that top-10 list of people that have won in every touring series in NASCAR and we're pretty excited about that.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
We are not suing Kenny Wallace.
And how rich is rich, anyway?
Cheryl Walker
My son, Joshua, and I recently returned from a trip to Florida to enjoy the Daytona 500. We also turned it into a vacation, one that I figure we will be paying for till at least the next two Daytona 500s; but isn’t that the American way?
Joshua was a special guest of Artie Kempner, Producer of NASCAR on Fox Sports, and all-around terrific and giving gentleman. Mr. Kempner has given Joshua some racing memories that he can share with his children and grandchildren, and helped fill some voids in Joshua’s life that would otherwise be holes the size of Talladega Superspeedway times ten. We have tried many times and many ways to show Artie how appreciative we are of such generosities, but he always hushes us up and tells us that if we had fun, then that’s his reward.
‘Fun’ is definitely what we had, so Artie should be feeling mighty satisfied. We watched most of the races from inside a SPEED broadcasting area beside the famed Hollywood Hotel, where the crew expertly commandeered the cameras that ‘float’ over pit road (it was really amazing to watch how they coordinate these great shots). We had an amazing view of the start/finish line from this booth, and were able to keep abreast of all happenings on the track by a television broadcast as well. What a treat for two diehard fans.
As V.I.P.s, we were also given garage passes, items that most NASCAR fans think are as hallowed as a Dale Jr. autograph. It is an extraordinary feeling to be perched on the wall on pit road, and see the likes of Joe Gibbs, Kyle Busch, and even Ernie Irvan walking past. Or walk past Martin Truex Jr.’s crew working hard on the No. 8 Chevy, or see the cars going through the inspection area. It’s a heady, exhilarating experience. Because it’s usually too loud for conversation, Joshua and I have developed a point-and-smile form of communication that is quite easy to understand. If this is in addition to a grab for the camera, then something really cool is happening, or someone ultra-special is walking by.
It was on the day of The Great American Race that Joshua and I were once again hanging around pit road. Michael Waltrip had the last pit road position, with Kenny Wallace next-to-last. It was near his pit wagon that we sat down for a brief moment, to watch the stands filling up across the track before us. The ‘Aaron’s’ decal was prominently displayed, and two long flexible poles stuck out from it (one for handing in the driver his drink, and one that holds the team’s pit board sign). As Joshua sat enjoying the pre-race excitement, one of the signs unexpectedly came loose, and hit him right on his head.
He first looked surprised (in a rather sad way), and then the tears came. Because he is almost 17 years old, that really ticked him off that he was crying in front of thousands of people, so he buried his head in my shoulder (and he probably hated having to do that even more than publicly crying). I felt his head, and, indeed, there was a lump forming.
Unfortunately there were no crew members present, but even if there were I don’t know what they would have done. I had to walk a long way to The Fan Zone to find ice, seemingly the nearest place to get some. A woman selling Budweiser beer took one of her plastic gloves and filled it with ice for me, and I appreciated it very much. It did look really odd, though, carrying this ice-filled glove back to pit road.
Joshua shoved it under his brand-new Daytona 500 ball cap, and told me it felt good. I was glad to see a smile on his face, when people gave his ‘ice glove’ a funny look.
I’d like to mention that several NASCAR fans roaming pit road came forth to see if Joshua was okay, and even returned now and then to keep checking. The kindness and compassion of NASCAR fans is not a legend.
At least three of those NASCAR fans made the comment, “Aw, you ought to sue Kenny.” One of them even added on, “… He’s rich.”
I will give them the benefit of the doubt, and believe that they were kidding. At least I hope so.
We Walkers aren’t the suing types; and we also enjoy the pit road access, and would never do anything to give reason to the NASCAR higher-ups to suspend that.
And as far as Kenny being rich enough to sue? Something tells me that, despite what some fans may think, he doesn’t smoke rolled-up C-notes and have mattresses lined with cash. I am sure he has more money than I do; but I don’t want any of his, thank you very much.
Joshua will be happy to tell anyone who asks that while it hurt, and the lump was there till the next day, it was a small price to pay for all of the other wonderful moments he experienced in a warm, sunny Florida, at The World Center of Racing.
And now that the pain is gone, he’s turned it into a sort of ‘Lemme-show-you-my-Daytona-scar’ kind of thing. sigh You know how males are.
And how rich is rich, anyway?
Cheryl Walker
My son, Joshua, and I recently returned from a trip to Florida to enjoy the Daytona 500. We also turned it into a vacation, one that I figure we will be paying for till at least the next two Daytona 500s; but isn’t that the American way?
Joshua was a special guest of Artie Kempner, Producer of NASCAR on Fox Sports, and all-around terrific and giving gentleman. Mr. Kempner has given Joshua some racing memories that he can share with his children and grandchildren, and helped fill some voids in Joshua’s life that would otherwise be holes the size of Talladega Superspeedway times ten. We have tried many times and many ways to show Artie how appreciative we are of such generosities, but he always hushes us up and tells us that if we had fun, then that’s his reward.
‘Fun’ is definitely what we had, so Artie should be feeling mighty satisfied. We watched most of the races from inside a SPEED broadcasting area beside the famed Hollywood Hotel, where the crew expertly commandeered the cameras that ‘float’ over pit road (it was really amazing to watch how they coordinate these great shots). We had an amazing view of the start/finish line from this booth, and were able to keep abreast of all happenings on the track by a television broadcast as well. What a treat for two diehard fans.
As V.I.P.s, we were also given garage passes, items that most NASCAR fans think are as hallowed as a Dale Jr. autograph. It is an extraordinary feeling to be perched on the wall on pit road, and see the likes of Joe Gibbs, Kyle Busch, and even Ernie Irvan walking past. Or walk past Martin Truex Jr.’s crew working hard on the No. 8 Chevy, or see the cars going through the inspection area. It’s a heady, exhilarating experience. Because it’s usually too loud for conversation, Joshua and I have developed a point-and-smile form of communication that is quite easy to understand. If this is in addition to a grab for the camera, then something really cool is happening, or someone ultra-special is walking by.
It was on the day of The Great American Race that Joshua and I were once again hanging around pit road. Michael Waltrip had the last pit road position, with Kenny Wallace next-to-last. It was near his pit wagon that we sat down for a brief moment, to watch the stands filling up across the track before us. The ‘Aaron’s’ decal was prominently displayed, and two long flexible poles stuck out from it (one for handing in the driver his drink, and one that holds the team’s pit board sign). As Joshua sat enjoying the pre-race excitement, one of the signs unexpectedly came loose, and hit him right on his head.
He first looked surprised (in a rather sad way), and then the tears came. Because he is almost 17 years old, that really ticked him off that he was crying in front of thousands of people, so he buried his head in my shoulder (and he probably hated having to do that even more than publicly crying). I felt his head, and, indeed, there was a lump forming.
Unfortunately there were no crew members present, but even if there were I don’t know what they would have done. I had to walk a long way to The Fan Zone to find ice, seemingly the nearest place to get some. A woman selling Budweiser beer took one of her plastic gloves and filled it with ice for me, and I appreciated it very much. It did look really odd, though, carrying this ice-filled glove back to pit road.
Joshua shoved it under his brand-new Daytona 500 ball cap, and told me it felt good. I was glad to see a smile on his face, when people gave his ‘ice glove’ a funny look.
I’d like to mention that several NASCAR fans roaming pit road came forth to see if Joshua was okay, and even returned now and then to keep checking. The kindness and compassion of NASCAR fans is not a legend.
At least three of those NASCAR fans made the comment, “Aw, you ought to sue Kenny.” One of them even added on, “… He’s rich.”
I will give them the benefit of the doubt, and believe that they were kidding. At least I hope so.
We Walkers aren’t the suing types; and we also enjoy the pit road access, and would never do anything to give reason to the NASCAR higher-ups to suspend that.
And as far as Kenny being rich enough to sue? Something tells me that, despite what some fans may think, he doesn’t smoke rolled-up C-notes and have mattresses lined with cash. I am sure he has more money than I do; but I don’t want any of his, thank you very much.
Joshua will be happy to tell anyone who asks that while it hurt, and the lump was there till the next day, it was a small price to pay for all of the other wonderful moments he experienced in a warm, sunny Florida, at The World Center of Racing.
And now that the pain is gone, he’s turned it into a sort of ‘Lemme-show-you-my-Daytona-scar’ kind of thing. sigh You know how males are.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Sunoco Pit Move of the Race: Fontana
By Ryan Smithson, NASCAR.COM
Pit Story of the Race
Only three drivers (Ryan Newman, Michael Waltrip, Jason Leffler) were caught speeding on pit road on Sunday, down from the 11 that got ticketed at Daytona.
Newman went a lap down after he was caught speeding early in the event, but he received two Lucky Dog passes and eventually fought back to finish ninth.
"I was in a stall where if I just left and hauled the mail I thought I was going to be all right," Newman said. "It never even crossed my mind for the potential for it because of the stall I was in and doing what we were doing."
Close call for Johnson
Teams were faced with more than one green-flag stop on Sunday as there were only seven cautions over the 500 miles.
At Fontana, teams benefit from one of the widest and longest pit roads on tour, and the transition to the pits is considerably easier than the one drivers will face in Las Vegas.
There were only two close calls. During the first round of stops on Lap 27, Leffler nearly broadsided Jimmie Johnson as the latter tried to exit his box. Johnson quickly stopped, waited for Leffler to get around, and drove off.
Johnson went on to finish second.
On Lap 204, Carl Edwards had to brake twice to avoid cars exiting their pits, and he lost seven positions as a result. Edwards went on to finish fifth, but the lost time cost him a chance to race with the leaders at the end.
Top performers
It was hard not to notice the phenomenal jobs of Matt Kenseth and Joe Nemechek's crews, who waged several head-to-head battles in the early going.
On the first stop, Kenseth's crew shot him out of the pits in first, giving their driver the lead for the first time.
Fontana's entrance to the garage is placed in the center of pit road -- unlike many tracks, which place their garage entrances at the start of pit road.
Nemechek's crew chief, Ryan Pemberton, was able to secure the pit immediately in front of this entrance, and Nemechek was able to leave the pits quickly without having to worry about a car entering the pit in front of him.
Nemechek also has good stops because his car was simply set-up perfectly. Nemechek only required a minor air adjustment on the first stop, and after that, his car needed no adjustments at all, and his crew consistently beat everyone else off pit road.
Nemechek's engine let go on Lap 180, sending him to a 39th-place finish. For a team that appeared to be on the bubble for a Chase spot, the finish is damaging, but expect him to bounce back at Las Vegas.
The key to victory
It was interesting to note that while Greg Biffle and Kurt Busch were just fine without new tires on the last run, Rusty Wallace followed suit and was left kicking himself for doing it.
Biffle, Busch, Wallace and Mark Martin all made the 32-lap final run without new tires. The three Fords were handled fine on the old rubber, but Wallace dropped like a rock, falling from fourth to 10th.
"That wasn't a good run at the end. We didn't take tires," Wallace said. "We should have taken tires. We did everything wrong when it came to making tire calls today.
"We did two and we should have done four. We did none and we should have done four. We got our butt beat because of that."
Busch restarted first on Lap 222 but quickly lost the lead to Biffle six laps later.
Biffle had battled back from a poor pit stop in the middle of the race, and it required a Lucky Dog pass and tire management to do it.
Elliott Sadler got an eighth-place finish after taking just two tires on the final stop -- a stop that gained him 10 positions.
Quotable
"I didn't think anyone would stay out. I thought, 'This will be no big deal. We'll get right out and go.' But these guys were good on no tires." -- Jamie McMurray, who thought he had a shot to win after getting tires on the final stop
"This was the toughest one of my life to earn, right here today out of any of my victories. We overcame more today than I ever have in a race car." -- Greg Biffle, who experienced trouble at Fontana again, but found a way to overcome it
By Ryan Smithson, NASCAR.COM
Pit Story of the Race
Only three drivers (Ryan Newman, Michael Waltrip, Jason Leffler) were caught speeding on pit road on Sunday, down from the 11 that got ticketed at Daytona.
Newman went a lap down after he was caught speeding early in the event, but he received two Lucky Dog passes and eventually fought back to finish ninth.
"I was in a stall where if I just left and hauled the mail I thought I was going to be all right," Newman said. "It never even crossed my mind for the potential for it because of the stall I was in and doing what we were doing."
Close call for Johnson
Teams were faced with more than one green-flag stop on Sunday as there were only seven cautions over the 500 miles.
At Fontana, teams benefit from one of the widest and longest pit roads on tour, and the transition to the pits is considerably easier than the one drivers will face in Las Vegas.
There were only two close calls. During the first round of stops on Lap 27, Leffler nearly broadsided Jimmie Johnson as the latter tried to exit his box. Johnson quickly stopped, waited for Leffler to get around, and drove off.
Johnson went on to finish second.
On Lap 204, Carl Edwards had to brake twice to avoid cars exiting their pits, and he lost seven positions as a result. Edwards went on to finish fifth, but the lost time cost him a chance to race with the leaders at the end.
Top performers
It was hard not to notice the phenomenal jobs of Matt Kenseth and Joe Nemechek's crews, who waged several head-to-head battles in the early going.
On the first stop, Kenseth's crew shot him out of the pits in first, giving their driver the lead for the first time.
Fontana's entrance to the garage is placed in the center of pit road -- unlike many tracks, which place their garage entrances at the start of pit road.
Nemechek's crew chief, Ryan Pemberton, was able to secure the pit immediately in front of this entrance, and Nemechek was able to leave the pits quickly without having to worry about a car entering the pit in front of him.
Nemechek also has good stops because his car was simply set-up perfectly. Nemechek only required a minor air adjustment on the first stop, and after that, his car needed no adjustments at all, and his crew consistently beat everyone else off pit road.
Nemechek's engine let go on Lap 180, sending him to a 39th-place finish. For a team that appeared to be on the bubble for a Chase spot, the finish is damaging, but expect him to bounce back at Las Vegas.
The key to victory
It was interesting to note that while Greg Biffle and Kurt Busch were just fine without new tires on the last run, Rusty Wallace followed suit and was left kicking himself for doing it.
Biffle, Busch, Wallace and Mark Martin all made the 32-lap final run without new tires. The three Fords were handled fine on the old rubber, but Wallace dropped like a rock, falling from fourth to 10th.
"That wasn't a good run at the end. We didn't take tires," Wallace said. "We should have taken tires. We did everything wrong when it came to making tire calls today.
"We did two and we should have done four. We did none and we should have done four. We got our butt beat because of that."
Busch restarted first on Lap 222 but quickly lost the lead to Biffle six laps later.
Biffle had battled back from a poor pit stop in the middle of the race, and it required a Lucky Dog pass and tire management to do it.
Elliott Sadler got an eighth-place finish after taking just two tires on the final stop -- a stop that gained him 10 positions.
Quotable
"I didn't think anyone would stay out. I thought, 'This will be no big deal. We'll get right out and go.' But these guys were good on no tires." -- Jamie McMurray, who thought he had a shot to win after getting tires on the final stop
"This was the toughest one of my life to earn, right here today out of any of my victories. We overcame more today than I ever have in a race car." -- Greg Biffle, who experienced trouble at Fontana again, but found a way to overcome it
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Notes: Drivers adjusting to new pit road rules
By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
FONTANA, Calif. -- Nextel Cup drivers cut their total of pit road speeding penalties from 23 in the Daytona 500 to only three on Sunday in the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway.
But the pre-race drivers' meeting was buzzing after series director John Darby took the microphone and explained in detail to the competitors why the new electronic pit road speed clocking system would remain in effect.
The basic difference between Daytona's drivers' meeting and Sunday's was that Darby laid out in detail how the system worked.
"The randomness of monitoring pit road speed is history," Darby said in noting that speeds would be monitored in seven segments, from the "first white line marking the speed zone to the last white line."
"Every car has a transponder," Darby said. "So focus on your own car -- don't be concerned about someone getting ahead of you."
At California, Darby said a five mph "tolerance" would be applied to the 55 mph pit road speed limit, to account for the "difference in tire circumference between hot and cold tires."
"Use (that tolerance)," Darby said. "But not as a means to push the limit and gain an advantage. If you get a penalty, you can be confident you were six mph or more over the limit."
Darby said "almost 100 percent" of the speeding penalties assessed in Daytona came in the last timed segment on pit road. All 23 came in the last two segments, according to a NASCAR spokesman.
Among the questions Sunday were by Dale Jarrett, who asked for additional pace cars to further split the field beyond two groups to help drivers establish a pit road speed. Darby said if drivers stayed closed up and limited weaving for one lap, that would allay that concern.
Elliott Sadler asked if the first timeline was "like radar, or was it the start of a segment," to which Darby replied it was a segment starting point -- though he refused to reveal where the segments were, except for the final closing point.
"Your transponder is mounted 14 feet, two inches from the front of the car," Darby said, "and that's where the final timing line is, 14 feet, two inches ahead of the last white line."
Jeff Gordon asked about having speedometers in racecars, instead of depending on matching your tachometer to a rev limit. Darby said maintaining the proper speed was still the drivers' responsibility and that maintaining a "certified calibration" for speedometers was a process NASCAR did not want to get into.
Robby Gordon asked about using GPS to establish speeds and Darby said the system was not accurate enough. A question about a car out of fuel and not running, rendering the tachometer inoperable, would call for "help from your spotter and a stopwatch," Darby said.
"There are shift lights and RPM lights that are approved," Darby said, adding that a printout of pit road speeds would be available for any team that questioned a penalty. "All I can tell you is that (at Daytona) speeds came down after we issued the penalties."
Jason Leffler (lap 105), Michael Waltrip (161) and Ryan Newman (178) were the drivers issued penalties Sunday, all from exit violations. The first two did not finish, while Newman endured a pass-through penalty under green and finished ninth.
Banner day for Roush
Sunday marked a breakthrough for Roush Racing, as the team owner had all five of his cars at the front of the field for at least four laps. The Roush cars led 151 of 250 laps.
Four of them finished in the top seven positions and only a flat tire late in the race for Matt Kenseth prevented five Roush cars from finishing in the top 10.
Race winner Greg Biffle gave credit to the Roush organization and said teammate Kurt Busch was making a statement as he moved into the point lead after a third-place finish.
"I really think it kind of speaks for itself today -- it just says how strong our organization is and how well we share our information and how good our wind tunnel people are," Biffle said. "I think it says a lot for our engine program and I think it speaks for what is to come this season with our cars.
"I think Kurt is gonna be really tough. I think Kurt's looking good and he's concentrated on repeating his championship."
Labonte relieved at 13th-place finish
Bobby Labonte has been cited as one driver who might struggle with the current setup package, but he turned in a solid 13th-place effort at California Speedway that raised his points standing to 31st.
Labonte rebounded from a 43rd-place finish in the Daytona 500, and his result marked the fourth consecutive year that the last-place finisher at the Daytona 500 rebounded to finish 14th or better in the next race. In 2002, Tony Stewart finished fourth; in 2003, Ryan Newman finished 14th; and in 2004, Mark Martin finished 12th -- all at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham.
"We didn't really have the car to challenge those guys at the end, but we worked hard all day," Labonte said. "We'd have liked a top-10 finish, but we're pretty happy with 13th after last week.
"The guys worked hard all day, and we got the car better and better throughout the day. We were in a hole after Daytona, and we began digging out of it today."
"Unapproved" cars drop back
In the first race in which the new impound rules were in place between qualifying and the race, five cars were sent to the back of the field Sunday for "unapproved work" performed before the race.
NASCAR Competition official Robin Pemberton said the violations were all minor ones that affected the starting position of the cars of John Andretti, Randy LaJoie, Elliott Sadler, Jeff Green and Kevin Lepage.
Crowd down at California
There were more empty seats than occupied ones in Turn 1 at California at the start of the Auto Club 500, but that fact was lost on Kurt Busch.
"I didn't notice -- we're busy in the racecar," Busch said. "They've got the grandstands painted red and yellow when they're empty, so they look like they're full (so) I didn't notice."
While the biggest holes were at either end, gaps existed from end to end of the stadium. Busch wasn't too concerned.
"The one thing I do notice about our West Coast fans is that it's new to them -- they're not as diehard as the fans in the Southeast, where those guys will pack their coolers to specifications -- hopefully it's Rubbermaid -- and sit in the grandstands and don't move.
"Fans on the West Coast, they come out for the feeling of NASCAR. What they get from that is the start of the race (then) they might go down to the midway to get a soda during a long green run or when there's a yellow.
"Some of them come back to their seats. The infield was packed, so there are different strategies, I think, with fans on the West Coast versus the East Coast."
California native Jimmie Johnson had a slightly deeper view.
"This is my own perspective that I've had for a long time and I don't know if anybody wants to listen or not," Johnson said. "But I think when you have two events at any track, you take away a little bit from each event.
"When you have a single event, there's a demand (because) it's the one shot you have to go and watch a race there. If there are two dates, you think well maybe you've got some stuff going on and you'll go to the next one.
"I would love to see us go to single events all over and race in every single state at 38 different races and hit every fan around the country."
Auto Club extends sponsorship at Fontana
The Automobile Club of Southern California -- the nation's largest AAA affiliate -- Sunday signed a three-year agreement to continue as the title sponsor for the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway, continuing a partnership that dates back to the speedway's opening in 1997.
California Speedway president Bill Miller and Automobile Club of Southern California president and CEO Thomas V. McKernan Jr. made the announcement.
"The Auto Club has been a tremendous partner since the speedway opened in 1997," Miller said. "They have added California Speedway to their legacy as leaders in motorsports sponsorship and development.
"Our relationship with the Auto Club and its membership base has always been strong (and) as we move forward, we will work together to advance this relationship and advance the Auto Club 500 as not only a major event locally, but on a regional and national scale as well."
Helton pays tribute to Sawyer
Former Richmond International Raceway owner/promoter Paul Sawyer, who died at 88 Saturday evening, received high praise in Sunday's drivers' meeting from NASCAR president Mike Helton.
"A lot of you in this room don't know much about Paul Sawyer," Helton said. "But I think if you see stories about him this week you ought to make a point of reading them.
"Paul Sawyer was a legend of our sport, in the mold of men like Enoch Staley (North Wilkesboro Speedway) and Clay Earles (Martinsville Speedway) -- who are responsible for making the sport what it is today."
Earles' grandson, Clay Campbell, cited Sawyer as a "pioneer" in a statement the track released Sunday afternoon.
"It's been said many times that people like Paul and my grandfather (Martinsville founder) were the pioneers of our sport," Campbell said. "They were true pioneers. They were from a generation gone by. There were never any gray areas with them.
"Due to Paul Sawyer's vision, he was able to build one of the nicest speedways in the country. That vision started when he had nothing and continued throughout his life. And he was true to NASCAR from the very beginning.
"What Paul Sawyer did for racing over the years enabled a lot of people to make a very good living today."
By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
FONTANA, Calif. -- Nextel Cup drivers cut their total of pit road speeding penalties from 23 in the Daytona 500 to only three on Sunday in the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway.
But the pre-race drivers' meeting was buzzing after series director John Darby took the microphone and explained in detail to the competitors why the new electronic pit road speed clocking system would remain in effect.
The basic difference between Daytona's drivers' meeting and Sunday's was that Darby laid out in detail how the system worked.
"The randomness of monitoring pit road speed is history," Darby said in noting that speeds would be monitored in seven segments, from the "first white line marking the speed zone to the last white line."
"Every car has a transponder," Darby said. "So focus on your own car -- don't be concerned about someone getting ahead of you."
At California, Darby said a five mph "tolerance" would be applied to the 55 mph pit road speed limit, to account for the "difference in tire circumference between hot and cold tires."
"Use (that tolerance)," Darby said. "But not as a means to push the limit and gain an advantage. If you get a penalty, you can be confident you were six mph or more over the limit."
Darby said "almost 100 percent" of the speeding penalties assessed in Daytona came in the last timed segment on pit road. All 23 came in the last two segments, according to a NASCAR spokesman.
Among the questions Sunday were by Dale Jarrett, who asked for additional pace cars to further split the field beyond two groups to help drivers establish a pit road speed. Darby said if drivers stayed closed up and limited weaving for one lap, that would allay that concern.
Elliott Sadler asked if the first timeline was "like radar, or was it the start of a segment," to which Darby replied it was a segment starting point -- though he refused to reveal where the segments were, except for the final closing point.
"Your transponder is mounted 14 feet, two inches from the front of the car," Darby said, "and that's where the final timing line is, 14 feet, two inches ahead of the last white line."
Jeff Gordon asked about having speedometers in racecars, instead of depending on matching your tachometer to a rev limit. Darby said maintaining the proper speed was still the drivers' responsibility and that maintaining a "certified calibration" for speedometers was a process NASCAR did not want to get into.
Robby Gordon asked about using GPS to establish speeds and Darby said the system was not accurate enough. A question about a car out of fuel and not running, rendering the tachometer inoperable, would call for "help from your spotter and a stopwatch," Darby said.
"There are shift lights and RPM lights that are approved," Darby said, adding that a printout of pit road speeds would be available for any team that questioned a penalty. "All I can tell you is that (at Daytona) speeds came down after we issued the penalties."
Jason Leffler (lap 105), Michael Waltrip (161) and Ryan Newman (178) were the drivers issued penalties Sunday, all from exit violations. The first two did not finish, while Newman endured a pass-through penalty under green and finished ninth.
Banner day for Roush
Sunday marked a breakthrough for Roush Racing, as the team owner had all five of his cars at the front of the field for at least four laps. The Roush cars led 151 of 250 laps.
Four of them finished in the top seven positions and only a flat tire late in the race for Matt Kenseth prevented five Roush cars from finishing in the top 10.
Race winner Greg Biffle gave credit to the Roush organization and said teammate Kurt Busch was making a statement as he moved into the point lead after a third-place finish.
"I really think it kind of speaks for itself today -- it just says how strong our organization is and how well we share our information and how good our wind tunnel people are," Biffle said. "I think it says a lot for our engine program and I think it speaks for what is to come this season with our cars.
"I think Kurt is gonna be really tough. I think Kurt's looking good and he's concentrated on repeating his championship."
Labonte relieved at 13th-place finish
Bobby Labonte has been cited as one driver who might struggle with the current setup package, but he turned in a solid 13th-place effort at California Speedway that raised his points standing to 31st.
Labonte rebounded from a 43rd-place finish in the Daytona 500, and his result marked the fourth consecutive year that the last-place finisher at the Daytona 500 rebounded to finish 14th or better in the next race. In 2002, Tony Stewart finished fourth; in 2003, Ryan Newman finished 14th; and in 2004, Mark Martin finished 12th -- all at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham.
"We didn't really have the car to challenge those guys at the end, but we worked hard all day," Labonte said. "We'd have liked a top-10 finish, but we're pretty happy with 13th after last week.
"The guys worked hard all day, and we got the car better and better throughout the day. We were in a hole after Daytona, and we began digging out of it today."
"Unapproved" cars drop back
In the first race in which the new impound rules were in place between qualifying and the race, five cars were sent to the back of the field Sunday for "unapproved work" performed before the race.
NASCAR Competition official Robin Pemberton said the violations were all minor ones that affected the starting position of the cars of John Andretti, Randy LaJoie, Elliott Sadler, Jeff Green and Kevin Lepage.
Crowd down at California
There were more empty seats than occupied ones in Turn 1 at California at the start of the Auto Club 500, but that fact was lost on Kurt Busch.
"I didn't notice -- we're busy in the racecar," Busch said. "They've got the grandstands painted red and yellow when they're empty, so they look like they're full (so) I didn't notice."
While the biggest holes were at either end, gaps existed from end to end of the stadium. Busch wasn't too concerned.
"The one thing I do notice about our West Coast fans is that it's new to them -- they're not as diehard as the fans in the Southeast, where those guys will pack their coolers to specifications -- hopefully it's Rubbermaid -- and sit in the grandstands and don't move.
"Fans on the West Coast, they come out for the feeling of NASCAR. What they get from that is the start of the race (then) they might go down to the midway to get a soda during a long green run or when there's a yellow.
"Some of them come back to their seats. The infield was packed, so there are different strategies, I think, with fans on the West Coast versus the East Coast."
California native Jimmie Johnson had a slightly deeper view.
"This is my own perspective that I've had for a long time and I don't know if anybody wants to listen or not," Johnson said. "But I think when you have two events at any track, you take away a little bit from each event.
"When you have a single event, there's a demand (because) it's the one shot you have to go and watch a race there. If there are two dates, you think well maybe you've got some stuff going on and you'll go to the next one.
"I would love to see us go to single events all over and race in every single state at 38 different races and hit every fan around the country."
Auto Club extends sponsorship at Fontana
The Automobile Club of Southern California -- the nation's largest AAA affiliate -- Sunday signed a three-year agreement to continue as the title sponsor for the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway, continuing a partnership that dates back to the speedway's opening in 1997.
California Speedway president Bill Miller and Automobile Club of Southern California president and CEO Thomas V. McKernan Jr. made the announcement.
"The Auto Club has been a tremendous partner since the speedway opened in 1997," Miller said. "They have added California Speedway to their legacy as leaders in motorsports sponsorship and development.
"Our relationship with the Auto Club and its membership base has always been strong (and) as we move forward, we will work together to advance this relationship and advance the Auto Club 500 as not only a major event locally, but on a regional and national scale as well."
Helton pays tribute to Sawyer
Former Richmond International Raceway owner/promoter Paul Sawyer, who died at 88 Saturday evening, received high praise in Sunday's drivers' meeting from NASCAR president Mike Helton.
"A lot of you in this room don't know much about Paul Sawyer," Helton said. "But I think if you see stories about him this week you ought to make a point of reading them.
"Paul Sawyer was a legend of our sport, in the mold of men like Enoch Staley (North Wilkesboro Speedway) and Clay Earles (Martinsville Speedway) -- who are responsible for making the sport what it is today."
Earles' grandson, Clay Campbell, cited Sawyer as a "pioneer" in a statement the track released Sunday afternoon.
"It's been said many times that people like Paul and my grandfather (Martinsville founder) were the pioneers of our sport," Campbell said. "They were true pioneers. They were from a generation gone by. There were never any gray areas with them.
"Due to Paul Sawyer's vision, he was able to build one of the nicest speedways in the country. That vision started when he had nothing and continued throughout his life. And he was true to NASCAR from the very beginning.
"What Paul Sawyer did for racing over the years enabled a lot of people to make a very good living today."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A Roush to the Front
Roush teams made the right choices in Fontana
By Mike Mulhern
Winston salem News Journal
Tony Stewart had his hands full during Sunday's 31/2-hour Auto Club 500.
With NASCAR's new aerodynamics rules, "It was like driving a razor blade," Stewart said of his highly unusual struggles - from the back of the field after a pre-race transmission change to a 17th-place finish.
Ryan Newman, another of the pre-race favorites who did not perform as expected, ran with Stewart the final 100 miles.
"Man, you've got to be tired after driving that thing," Newman told Stewart back in the garage.
Sunday's race was clearly a case of the haves and have-nots, and winner Greg Biffle clearly had it.
Newman, like Stewart, didn't.
"We cut a right-front tire, we overheated, and we got caught for speeding on pit road," Newman said. "The overheating was primarily because of all the trash on the track. If we didn't have people throwing trash (such as hot-dog wrappers) and actually had people picking stuff up, we wouldn't have to worry about that."
Biffle led a charge that helped make up for Ford's disappointing performance at Daytona, where Chevrolet dominated. Biffle, who was strong at Daytona until the 500 itself, may be the man to watch in these early days of the new season.
Three Jack Roush drivers placed in the top five. The last time that Roush could boast that was early 2003 at Bristol.
"These are racers' racetracks," Roush said of California Speedway and the other midsize tracks where downforce is crucial. "Daytona and Talladega tracks are momentum tracks; you just hang out and see what's going to happen.
"But the racers come to the front at these 11/2-mile and 2-mile tracks. I mean, we're going to get it on here in the next four or five races."
The tour's next three stops are in Las Vegas, Atlanta and Bristol, Tenn.
Biffle survived late threats by teammate Kurt Busch and fast-closing Jimmie Johnson.
"I was just way, way too free. We had the fastest race car on the track but just not right there at the end," Biffle said.
Johnson, who likes a loose car himself, may have met his match in Biffle.
"Greg has been on the gas lately," Johnson said. " He's fun to race with. He always puts on a good show for you. I love to race with these guys."
Biffle was running fifth at Daytona in the final miles when he crashed while dueling with Johnson,.
Biffle's second win in the series' last three races "was the toughest one of my life to earn. We overcame more than I ever have in a car.
"I was pretty upset in the middle of the race. Toward the beginning the car was so loose, so we put a full (spring-adjusting) rubber in the left-rear spring, which took a long time to do, longer than I thought it would have taken. But that's what we needed.
"However I went from running eighth to back in the 20s. I lost all my track position. We came back from that. Then we got caught on pit road a lap down. Kurt and I worked together and got our laps back, but had to come from the back again."
When the last caution came out with 60 miles to go, most of the field, including Johnson, pitted for fresh tires. Biffle and Busch didn't.
A gamble?
"It wasn't a really hard decision," Biffle said. "We had (only) seven laps on the tires. These tires are a really good compound, and it takes five laps for them to come in.
"And we knew a lot of guys would 'two-tire,' so why put ourselves in that position? I saw Kurt stay out, and I knew it was 30 laps to go, and I felt like there would be more cautions. We had run only seven laps on our tires, so what is the advantage?
"I chose to be in front of all of that mayhem instead of in the middle of it, and it looked to be the right decision.
An untimely pit stop just before a caution had put Biffle and Busch both a lap down, but they rallied by working together.
"That's why I freed the car up so much - because I was back in that traffic," Biffle said. "Then when I got back out front it was so dang loose I couldn't drive it.
"But we were able to hang on."
Cup cars are generally way over-powered for the tires, so making the most effective use of horsepower is sometimes an art form. Here, it was an art form few appeared to master. But Biffle and crew chief Doug Richert were two who did.
"It was easy to drive," Biffle said. "The car would cut to the bottom. I could stay way out and make a late apex into the corner.
"We spent a lot of time working on race trim because we only had two hours of practice. Normally we have that much time to work on race trim alone, but we had to work on that and qualifying here.
"And I like this racetrack. Let's not forget I was leading here when the transmission broke on the restart last year, and I was catching the second-place car when my right-rear tire blew out."
Biffle says he won't be content this season just to win races. He wants more.
"We're going to have to be tough," Biffle said. "Our team is capable of making the Chase. I'm going to have to dig deep at Loudon and Martinsville and all the other places that are in the Chase (from September through November). That's what's going to determine my future - how hard we work and how focused I can stay."
Roush teams made the right choices in Fontana
By Mike Mulhern
Winston salem News Journal
Tony Stewart had his hands full during Sunday's 31/2-hour Auto Club 500.
With NASCAR's new aerodynamics rules, "It was like driving a razor blade," Stewart said of his highly unusual struggles - from the back of the field after a pre-race transmission change to a 17th-place finish.
Ryan Newman, another of the pre-race favorites who did not perform as expected, ran with Stewart the final 100 miles.
"Man, you've got to be tired after driving that thing," Newman told Stewart back in the garage.
Sunday's race was clearly a case of the haves and have-nots, and winner Greg Biffle clearly had it.
Newman, like Stewart, didn't.
"We cut a right-front tire, we overheated, and we got caught for speeding on pit road," Newman said. "The overheating was primarily because of all the trash on the track. If we didn't have people throwing trash (such as hot-dog wrappers) and actually had people picking stuff up, we wouldn't have to worry about that."
Biffle led a charge that helped make up for Ford's disappointing performance at Daytona, where Chevrolet dominated. Biffle, who was strong at Daytona until the 500 itself, may be the man to watch in these early days of the new season.
Three Jack Roush drivers placed in the top five. The last time that Roush could boast that was early 2003 at Bristol.
"These are racers' racetracks," Roush said of California Speedway and the other midsize tracks where downforce is crucial. "Daytona and Talladega tracks are momentum tracks; you just hang out and see what's going to happen.
"But the racers come to the front at these 11/2-mile and 2-mile tracks. I mean, we're going to get it on here in the next four or five races."
The tour's next three stops are in Las Vegas, Atlanta and Bristol, Tenn.
Biffle survived late threats by teammate Kurt Busch and fast-closing Jimmie Johnson.
"I was just way, way too free. We had the fastest race car on the track but just not right there at the end," Biffle said.
Johnson, who likes a loose car himself, may have met his match in Biffle.
"Greg has been on the gas lately," Johnson said. " He's fun to race with. He always puts on a good show for you. I love to race with these guys."
Biffle was running fifth at Daytona in the final miles when he crashed while dueling with Johnson,.
Biffle's second win in the series' last three races "was the toughest one of my life to earn. We overcame more than I ever have in a car.
"I was pretty upset in the middle of the race. Toward the beginning the car was so loose, so we put a full (spring-adjusting) rubber in the left-rear spring, which took a long time to do, longer than I thought it would have taken. But that's what we needed.
"However I went from running eighth to back in the 20s. I lost all my track position. We came back from that. Then we got caught on pit road a lap down. Kurt and I worked together and got our laps back, but had to come from the back again."
When the last caution came out with 60 miles to go, most of the field, including Johnson, pitted for fresh tires. Biffle and Busch didn't.
A gamble?
"It wasn't a really hard decision," Biffle said. "We had (only) seven laps on the tires. These tires are a really good compound, and it takes five laps for them to come in.
"And we knew a lot of guys would 'two-tire,' so why put ourselves in that position? I saw Kurt stay out, and I knew it was 30 laps to go, and I felt like there would be more cautions. We had run only seven laps on our tires, so what is the advantage?
"I chose to be in front of all of that mayhem instead of in the middle of it, and it looked to be the right decision.
An untimely pit stop just before a caution had put Biffle and Busch both a lap down, but they rallied by working together.
"That's why I freed the car up so much - because I was back in that traffic," Biffle said. "Then when I got back out front it was so dang loose I couldn't drive it.
"But we were able to hang on."
Cup cars are generally way over-powered for the tires, so making the most effective use of horsepower is sometimes an art form. Here, it was an art form few appeared to master. But Biffle and crew chief Doug Richert were two who did.
"It was easy to drive," Biffle said. "The car would cut to the bottom. I could stay way out and make a late apex into the corner.
"We spent a lot of time working on race trim because we only had two hours of practice. Normally we have that much time to work on race trim alone, but we had to work on that and qualifying here.
"And I like this racetrack. Let's not forget I was leading here when the transmission broke on the restart last year, and I was catching the second-place car when my right-rear tire blew out."
Biffle says he won't be content this season just to win races. He wants more.
"We're going to have to be tough," Biffle said. "Our team is capable of making the Chase. I'm going to have to dig deep at Loudon and Martinsville and all the other places that are in the Chase (from September through November). That's what's going to determine my future - how hard we work and how focused I can stay."
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NASCAR ON TV THIS WEEK
| BUSCH SERIES QUALIFYING | 1 p.m. Saturday | Speed Channel |
| BUSCH SERIES TELCEL-MOTOROLA MEXICO 200 | 3 p.m. Sunday | Fox |
| All times Eastern. Times and stations subject to change. | ||
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Well, that's all for today. Until the next time, I remain,
Your
Momma
"Don't come here and grumble about going too fast. Get the hell out of the race car if you've got feathers on your legs or butt. Put a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up there and eat that candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt – 1998
"It's nothin' personal, it's just racin'
-Dale Earnhardt
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This list is authored by:
Sandra Monacelli
221 W. 57th Street 18B
Loveland, CO 80538
970/663-6967
Your
Momma "Don't come here and grumble about going too fast. Get the hell out of the race car if you've got feathers on your legs or butt. Put a kerosene rag around your ankles so the ants won't climb up there and eat that candy ass." - Dale Earnhardt – 1998
"It's nothin' personal, it's just racin'
-Dale Earnhardt
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Subscribe: KnowYourNascar-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
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List owner: KnowYourNascar-owner@yahoogroups.com
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This list is authored by:
Sandra Monacelli
221 W. 57th Street 18B
Loveland, CO 80538
970/663-6967
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